Nearly Happily Ever After
by Baby the Stars Shine Bright
Summary: An exasperated groan escaped her as she finally threw the blankets off, burying the sound asleep dog. She always got there after he’d transformed back. Surely a few minutes wouldn’t make a difference.' Sequal to Melancholy. Remus/OC
1. Chapter 1

Read Melancholy first.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

The rest of seventh year had been quite different from the beginning of it. When Melanie returned to Hogwarts, she'd decided firmly that she wasn't going back home again; she wasn't putting up with her father from that point on. Quite quickly, she and Remus grew close again. Their friendship rebloomed into something much larger, and much stronger, than they'd ever had. 

She turned it all over in her head as she lay in bed.

Alone.

Of the months that they'd lived together since graduating, full moons were by far the worse time. It was such nights that she suddenly realized how much the sandy haired werewolf had changed her life. She looked at the clock and rolled over yet again; her legs tangling in the sheets.

Why did time travel so slowly?!

An exasperated groan escaped her as she finally threw the blankets off, burying the sound asleep dog at the foot of the bed. She always got there after he'd transformed back. Surely a few minutes wouldn't make a difference.

Regardless, she tried to pace herself, tried to ensure that she wouldn't get there too soon. The wind bit at exposed skin, tangled her cloak around her, and sent her hair flying in near every direction.

_Almost a year now_, she thought, moving steadily along the path that she surely could have traveled with her eyes closed. She'd taken it so many times now, but still, she was sure, it was because he pulled to her. She could feel him, could feel her feet pick up their speed to get to him quicker.

She hated full moons, hated them with a fiery passion. She hated that she had to leave him alone, had to leave him in such horrid agony.

Hated that there was nothing that she could do, but wait.

Wrapped in her own thoughts, she didn't see the wolf lunge.

Her scream echoed through the forest as teeth sank into her arm and momentum throw them both forward. Pain shot through her for only moments before her head crashed against the dirt and rock ground and the world went black. She didn't see the wolf set to attack again, didn't see the sun's first light wash over them, didn't see the vicious, dirty, and bloody wolf transform painfully back into an exhausted, dirty, and bloody man.

Remus slowly and carefully pushed himself off of the ground. It'd been a rough night as always, but nothing compared to his dream. To that terrible, horrifying dream. He blinked slowly, forcing his vision clean.

The sight before him made a balloon of icy water drop in his stomach. What he saw was far worse than his dream, for it hadn't been a dream at all.

"Melly!" It came out as a hoarse whisper as he scrambled forward. He carefully gathered the small girl in his arms. "Oh, God. Oh, God." This couldn't be happening. Not her.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Melanie woke slowly. Her head hurt terribly and there was a dull, aching pain in her arm. What had happened? She remembered going down and… Remus…

"Oh, God," she whispered.

"Mell?" A hand was petting her hair gently. She knew his touch even before she opened her eyes.

"Remus?" she groaned. He helped her into a sitting position as she tried to focus her gaze to get a good look at him.

His hair was a mess, as though he'd run his hands through it many times. His eyes were red. What was he crying over? She couldn't remember and she was afraid to ask. It must have been bad, whatever it was. Cuts and bruises still covered him. Hadn't he bothered to take the time to take care of himself after the full moon? Men.

"My God, Remus. Look at you. Did you even clean those cuts?" She made to stand, to get a cloth and warm water. The world spun and she collapsed into his arms with a series of profanities.

"Shh. Don't worry about it. I'm fine." He repositioned her, sitting on their bed beside her, and stroked hair damp from exertion away from her face. It was just like her to put him first, he thought grimly.

"Remus, what happened?" For a long moment, he was silent. "Remus, please."

"I-You-You came down before I transformed back. I…" He pressed his face to the curve of her neck. "I bit you."

The words wouldn't penetrate. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He pulled away. "I understand if you hate me."

"I-What?!" Melly turned sharply to face him, had to blink furiously to focus her eyes. "I don't hate you, Remus. I could never hate you. Look at me!" He didn't move his gaze. She lifted his chin. "I do not hate you. God damn it! I love you more than anything that I can think of!"

Remus stared at her. Didn't she understand what this meant? What he'd done to her? He rested his head on her shoulder, unable to look into eyes showing such passion, such love, any longer. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She wrapped her good arm around him, realizing only then that the other was held in a sling. "Shh. It's okay, my love. Shh." She kissed his forehead and then rested her head atop his. She could feel warm tears through her shirt and continued to murmur softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

It'd been a little over three weeks. Melanie's arm was still in a sling and it was starting to affect her sanity. They told her that after the first full moon, the bite would become less of a problem. It didn't change that she felt handicapped.

Fay and Lily had talked her into going out with them. She needed a girls' day to not worry about everything, they said, and Remus had plans anyway. Ones that he wouldn't reveal. When she'd spoken to James and Sirius, though, they didn't know what she was talking about. The girls' day was cut short after a bit of shopping and a movie. They weren't too specific as to why, but both suddenly had to leave. _Probably James and Sirius being themselves,_ she thought as she apperated into the foyer.

She shook her head a bit, clearing that feeling that always came with apparition. "Remus?" He couldn't have left yet. Music was playing softly from somewhere. Had he taken the dog out? No, she could hear the barking out back. What was going on? She set her bags down by the door and wandered into the connected dinning room. It was lit by candles and laid out for dinner.

For two.

Romantically.

She stared, trying to understand. He'd planned romantic dinners before, but she wasn't supposed to be home tonight. Who was he expecting? "

Melanie?" She turned to see him coming into the room, all cleaned up nicely, with a dish. "What are you doing here?"

"Fay and Lily had to leave suddenly," she said, voice a bit thick. She knew that she couldn't do as much until the bite healed, but it didn't make her useless, did it? And... enough that he was going behind her back? "I'll just… run this stuff upstairs and get out of your way."

"What are you talking about, Mell?" he asked, setting the dish down.

She turned back to him, eyes gleaming. "You have a fancy dinner planned for the night that I'm not home. I can take the hint." She bit her lip, anger turning to hurt. "You couldn't just end it?" she asked, leaving the room.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Remus hadn't seen this coming. "Mell, wait." He caught her good arm and guided her to a seat in the living room. He'd done that one up, too, she noted. "Princess, no," he whispered, brushing hair from her face gently. "I didn't want to break up with you… I wanted to propose…"

She blinked a few times. "But Lily and Fay…"

"We planned it that way so that you'd be out of the house while I got everything ready. Melanie, love," he said, moving to kneel before her. She could only stare. "We've known each other since we were children. I was lost those years that we didn't talk. I love you more than anything in this world and I want to spend the rest of my life with you… Will you marry me?"

"Remus… Yes. Oh, God, yes," she said, smiling through tears. He slid the ring on her finger and hugged her tightly. "I love you."


End file.
